What Happens When You Stop Breastfeeding? 5 Things To Know

The ‘right’ time to stop breastfeeding or to wean comes at a very personal and unique time for every mother and baby pair.

Regardless of when weaning occurs, the experiences some mothers encounter when stopping breastfeeding can be quite unexpected.

Indeed, for some mothers, the end of their breastfeeding relationship with their baby can be a time fraught with emotional changes.

There can be physical changes which come with the end of breastfeeding too.

It’s often easier to accept and deal with the things we experience when we know they are normal.

Unfortunately, many mothers are unaware that many of the effects they may experience when weaning are completely normal.

So what are the possible physical and emotional changes of stopping breastfeeding? Here are 5 things to be aware of:

#1: You May Experience Mood Changes

When your breastfeeding journey ends, it’s not uncommon to feel upset and tearful. Some mothers may feel irritable or anxious at times too. Usually these feelings cease after a few weeks. If these feelings are severe, or continue beyond a few weeks, seek advice from your health care professional.

It’s thought these mood changes may be brought about by hormonal changes (i.e. drop in prolactin and oxytocin levels) that occur when stopping breastfeeding. This is not surprising since prolactin assists with feeling calm and relaxed and oxytocin is commonly known as the ‘feel-good’ or ‘love’ hormone.

Whenever possible, gradual weaning can help minimise any mood changes you may experience. This is because gradual weaning allows hormonal changes to occur more gradually over time and so gives your body a chance to get used to them.

Nonetheless, even if the end to breastfeeding occurs gradually, it’s still not uncommon to feel sadness and a sense of loss. Many mothers feel breastfeeding helps create a physical and emotional closeness between them and their baby. So, when breastfeeding ends, it’s not uncommon feel a sense of bereavement as a very special time in your life with your child has ended. It’s important to remember the bond you have with your child and the physical and emotional closeness can continue despite weaning (e.g. with hugs, skin-to-skin contact, baby-wearing etc).

#2: It Can Take A While For Your Milk To Fully Dry Up

It’s not uncommon for mothers who have weaned to continue to find breastmilk appears when they hand express. How long it takes for your breastmilk to dry up completely after weaning varies from mother to mother. For some mothers who have breastfed frequently over a long period of time, it could take weeks to many months.

Breastmilk production works on a supply and demand basis. The more often milk is removed from your breasts, the more milk they will make and vice versa. If breastfeeding stops when your breasts are making plenty of milk (e.g. when your baby is feeding often), it can take a long time for your breasts to reduce, and eventually stop, producing milk. If breastfeeding ends when your breasts aren’t producing much milk (e.g. for an older baby or toddler), your supply is likely to adjust more quickly. Exactly when your breasts fully stop making milk varies greatly between individual mothers.

#3: Your Supply May Be On A Roller Coaster Ride

When weaning has occurred, initially your breasts will want to keep producing the amount of milk they are used to producing.

Stopping breastfeeding gradually allows your breastmilk supply to reduce gradually overtime and so minimises the risk of engorgement, blocked ducts or mastitis. Whereas, the more suddenly weaning occurs, the more likely you are to experience engorgement, blocked ducts or mastitis. For tips about drying up breastmilk read here.

When trying to stop your breasts from making milk, removing as little milk as possible is important. If however, you develop a blocked duct, temporarily removing milk (e.g. with hand expressing) to clear the blockage is important to help reduce the risk of developing mastitis.

Likewise, if you develop mastitis, temporarily removing milk to clear the milk stasis is important to reduce the risk of the mastitis turning into an abscess. Once the blocked duct or mastitis has cleared, you can go back to not removing milk and just monitoring your breasts. Overtime, your supply will reduce and eventually your milk production will cease.

#4: Your Menstrual Cycle May Return

For many mothers, their period doesn’t return while they’re exclusively breastfeeding. In fact, there is a well-accepted form of birth control known as the Lactational Amenhorrhoea Method.

When breastfeeding stops, it’s likely your menstrual cycles will gradually return to normal. This does not mean that one cannot fall pregnant while breastfeeding, you still can as this article explains.

#5: Your Breasts Can Return To Their Pre-Pregnancy Size

Once breastfeeding stops, your milk making cells will gradually shrink and fat cells will get laid down again. As this process occurs, over several months, your breasts usually return to their pre-pregnancy size.

And, if you worried about saggy breasts, don’t be. Read here for more information.

…

The end of breastfeeding can bring about a variety of physical and emotional changes. While some changes can be unpleasant, knowing what to expect can help handling these changes feel less daunting.

180

Shares

Related Articles

Renee Kam IBCLCCONTRIBUTOR

Renee Kam is a mother of two daughters, an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), a physiotherapist, author of 'The Newborn Baby Manual' and an Australian Breastfeeding Association Counsellor. In her spare time, Renee enjoys spending time with family and friends, horse riding, running and reading.

18 comments

Hi I was just wondering what will happen to me or my boobs if I don’t get rid of the milk in my breast? I am no longer breastfeeding but I love the fact that I have milk in my breast and I don’t want it to go away.

If you express the milk on a regular basis they will still produce. Might I suggest if you like the feeling of having it find a local donation center and donate for the sick and abandoned babies. Your breasts can produce a supply for years!

Hello my son is soon to be 11 months and I have been breastfeeding him since birth with occasional formula two days out of the week. I just missed my period and took a positive pregnancy test. I am high risk miscarriage and just wondering if I should stop breastfeeding due to cramps and my stomach contracting?

Hello. My son is 2 yes old and exclusively breastfeed him. I’ve been having a period that lasts a week and comes back within a week in a half to 2. I went to the Dr and the only suggestion is to stop breastfeeding and go on birth control. I’m not ready nor my son is ready to stop. Ive tried to stop for the last 2 days and he crys then i start to cry but I really need for the bleeding to stop. Is this really the only answer

What happens when I’m weening and I decided to have my last pump session, what happens to the small amount of milk that gets left in my breasts? Does it just disappear or dry up? I’m very prone to mastitis, and clogs. Thank you I found your blog very helpful!

I need to stop as my 1 year is just constantly feeding everyone she is near me or I pick her up she wants to be fed. During the night it’s really bad she wakes every couple of hours and just sucks for a few minutes then back to sleep. I’m getting so tired and therefore frustrated I also have a 4 year old so don’t get much rest. Suggestions on how to stop the feeds. She won’t take milk in a bottle or sippy cup

I stopped breastfeeding in may 2017 after breastfeeding for 15 months my girl turned one in February 2017.my period returned in June and my period has been irregular. Now I’m presently 3 days late could I be pregnant.

Im wondering if youve or anybody has ever heard of having an allergic reaction and hives when theybstop breastfeeding. The last 3 days ive been beuond itchy swelling and breaking out in hives since i stopped.. Nothing indo has changed nothing i eat has been different… Nothing.. Except the stopping of breastfeeding. Its like im allergic to the hormones going insane.

My son is 5years now. Milk still comes out of my breasts when I press or squeeze it. Is this normal? Again I usually feel pain in one of my breasts anytime I am ovulating and it will be hard and swollen but disappears immediately after ovulation and comes back d next month..sometimes it stays for more than a week before the pain disappears. Is this normal too?

I’ve breast fed my son since birth, he will be 2 on boxing day if this year. We stopped night feeds 2 weeks ago and he was fine and now we are stopping morning feeds too as I am sure he is just doing it for comfort and I really don’t think I’m producing that much milk as my boobs never feel bigger.
How do I stop/reduce the risk of mastitis or blocked ducts?

Leave a Reply

Please note: in order to prevent spam and inappropriate language, all comments are moderated before they appear. We appreciate your patience awaiting approval. BellyBelly receives many comments every day, and we are unable to approve them all as soon as they are posted.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Connect with US

Our Contributors

Our writing team consists of professionals who work with pregnant and birthing women, as well as new parents, all year round. We're not just bloggers or journalists. We're industry professionals who love what we do!